Positive loading scraper



April 23, 1940. s. s. MOORE POSITIVE LOADING SCRAPER Filed March 21, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR S.S.M0 one April 23, 1940. s. s. MOORE POSITIVE LOADING SGRAPER Filed March 21. 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mum INVENTOR S. S. M0 ore .QAAAL.

ATTORN EY 'April 23, 1940. s. s. MOOR E POSITIVE LOADING SCRAPER Filed March 21, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 S .S.M001"e ATTORNEY April 23, 1940. s. s. MOORE POSITIVE LOADING scRAPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 21, 1938 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES rosrrrvn LOADING scmmnn Stanley s. Moore, Stockton; cam.

Application March 21,

10 Claims.

This invention relates to tractor drawn carrying scrapers of large capacity, the major object of the invention being to provide dirt handling mechanism in the scraper so arranged that without any undue expenditure of power, the

scraper may be readily and positively loaded to its actual or theoretical capacity, and this may be accomplished whether the dirt is of the relatively inert or live variety. This I believe is in contra-distinction to all scrapers of this general type of which I have any knowledge and which cannot be practicably loaded, by a scraping operation, to within several yards of their possible capacity. In other words, the operator of a scraper constructed and built sufliciently strong to hold twenty yards of dirt for instance is only able in practice to load about fifteen yards thereon, and with certain kinds of dirt, even this yardage is unattainable. As a result, the deadweight 20 load which must be hauled by the tractor is out.

of proportion to the pay load. With my improved scraper on the other hand, this disadvantageous and expense and inefficient form of operation is definitely avoided.

This major object is attained by what I term a load crowder, which is movable at the option of the operator to engage the dirt being taken in at the scraping end of the body or bowl of the scraper, and to literally shovel or scoop up such 3o dirt and dump the same into the rearmost portion of the bowl.

In connection with this crowder, it is another object of my invention to so mount the same that its movement either advancing or returning to its normal position (where it serves as a dirt retainer) does not interfere with the continued feeding or passage of dirt into the front end of the bowl. In other words, there need be no interruption to the continuous forward move- 40 ment and scraping action of the scraper even when the crowder is being manipulated. Not only may a full load be taken on, but such loading may be accomplished with no delays and hence in a minimum of time.

45 The scraper bowl is arranged to be discharged,

for spreading or dumping, by the upward movement of the forward end of the bowl. In connection with such general arrangement, it is an object of theinvention to provide for the initial 50 creation of an opening for the discharge of the dirt by such upward movement of the bowl only when the latter has been raised beyond a predetermined point, and to cause such opening to be automatically increased in extent by the further I lifting of the bowl. Also, the discharging move- 1938, Serial No. 197,068

ment of the bowl does not in any way affect or interfere with the crowder previously mentioned, which may be used if desired to facilitate or speed up the dirt discharging operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide 5 what I believe to be a novel form of connection and mounting means for the front end of the bowl, and a novel control device for tilting the bowl incorporated with said connection means.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the scraper in carrying position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the scraper in digging position.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the scraper as dumping.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the scraper in a loading or digging position, showing various positions of the crowder.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a similar view on line 1-1 of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the body of the scraper comprises side plates I depending from longitudinal hollow top beams 2 and reinforced by other beams 3 which include a peripheral framework, all of said beams being on the outside of the plates. At the front and top the side plates are connected by a cylindrical tubular beam 4 and adjacent the rear end by another crossbeam 5. Rearwardly of the beam 5, the side plates are supported by pairs of dual wheels 6 the axles I of these wheels forming the pivotal axis about which the scraper as a whole may tilt.

Depending from the beam 4 centrally of its extent is a post unit 8, which supports a vertical king pin 9. This is mounted on a fifth wheel unit III which includes a longitudinal pin I I. Swivelly mounted on this pin is a collar l2 carrying a transverse pin l3. The pin I3 is supported in the rear ends of a forked draft tongue I4, provided at its forward end with a swivel clevis l5 adapted for connection to the drawbar of a tractor and hence held at a fixed level. The tractor can thus turn about the clevis, and the tongue and front wheel unit can swivel about the pin 9 55 while assuming any lateral or longitudinal angle relative thereto as the ground contours may necessitate. I

Adjacent its forward end, the tongue is turnably supported on a transverse pin I6 which is mounted in rearwardly projecting frames I]. These extend to the sides of and beyond the tongue, clearing the forked end of the latter, and adjacent their rear end support wheels I9 whose axis lies in a vertical plane close to that of pin 9. At their rear end, the frames are connected by a support. An upstanding rectangular yoke 2I whose top and bottom cross beams, above and below the tongue respectively, also serve to connect and brace the frames against spreading.

A sheave-block 22 is supportedat the top of the yoke, while a corresponding block 23 is mounted on the tongue at the inception of its fork.

A cable 24 extends from a power unit on the tractor to the upper sheave-block from between fair-lead rollers 25 on the yoke, and then passes between the sheaves of the two blocks to a suitably located dead end.

It will thus be seen that a pull on the cable will lift the tongue, the latter turning on pin I6, and the scraper will be lifted about the rear wheels 6 as an axis, thearms II remaining in.

substantially the same position at all times.

Extending between the side plates toward the front thereof is a rigid blade 26, fixed with and extending rearwardly from which a relatively short distance is a bottom plate 2'I. Swung from the side plates rearwardly of plate 21 on trunnions 28 is the main spreader bowl and endgate 29. This bowl is of curved form and is adapted at its forward end to form a closure with the rear edge of plate 21, its upper end being then in Fig. 3. The

close to the top of the side plates I as shown trunnions 28 are some distance above and rearwardly of this rear edge so that as the bowl swings back to open a gap between the fixed plate 28, its forward edge moves down for the first portion of 45 of the bowl.

Such swinging movement is imparted to the bowl simultaneously with the lifting of the scraper above a carrying position by the following means: Fixed on the back of the bowl well below upwardly about a pulley 3| mounted on an arm 32 upstanding from the cross-beam 5. From this pulley the cable 3Ilpasses about another pulley 33 fixed in one of the upper beams 2 (see Fig.

5 2). The cablethen extends forwardly inside said beam leaving'the same adjacent its forward '5- ther lifting ever (by a pull on cable24); the cable'fll be-- end about another pulley 34. Said cable then passes about another pulley 35 hung from beam 4, downabout a pulley? 36- mounted 'on' the crossbeam 20 of, the wheelframe,, and up to a dead end on said beam 4. The cable 30 is slack between digging and carrying positions of the scraper, and the corresponding difference in distance between crossbeams 4 and 20. Y with furof the scraper and crossbeam 4 howcomes taut, andthe length of the 'cable' runs between'pulleys 35 and- 3611s increased. Since the cable is of fixed lensthJ- -1 the b wl to bepulled upwardly at fthe back causing a discharge or spreading gaptoflbejopened between s'aid'bowl and the fixed plate 21.1 The extent o'ffmovementv thus imparted'to the bowl is in procrossbeam 20, and a head of the wheels the swinging movement the trunnions 28 is a cable 30. This passes beam 5, the block 52 being ahead portionate to such lift. Since the forward edge of the bowl drops with its initial opening movement for the reason previously set forth, the distance between such edge and the ground will be initially decreased somewhat so that the relatively small discharge opening then had goes with the thin spread allowed by this position of the bowl. As the scraper is lifted higher and the gap is widened, the spreading depth automatically increases in proportion to the increase in the width of the gap and the greater amount of dirt being discharged. In any event, the lower edge of the bowl when turned from a closing position always projects below the fixed plate 21 to serve as a leveling blade. 'When the tongue has been raised to its limit, as determined by the approach of sheave-blocks 22 and 23 toward each tendency for. the bowl to swing open of itself. To counteract and overcome this tendency, radial depending arms 31 are secured on the outer ends of the trunnions (see Fig. 1). These are connected by pull rods 38 or the like with the lower ends of levers 39 which project upwardly through beams 2 to pivotal mountings 40 above said beams, the latter being longitudinally slotted to permit of the swivel movement of said levers. Inside ,the beams the levers are acted on by heavy springs positioned to force the levers forwardly and thus, through their connection with the bowl, yieldably hold the bowl in a closed position.

In order to enable the scraper to be readily loaded to its actual full capacity when operating in any kind of dirt and without excessive pulling strains on the draft "tongue or tractor, and without halting the forward movement of the scraper at any time, I provide the following structure: Disposed in facing relation to upstanding or substantially vertical crowder or loader scoop 42 having side plates 43 fitting bethe bowl as is an 45 mounted on side bars 45 which extend rearward- 1y from the plates 43 at the top. At their rear ends, the bars are pivoted on depending swing arms 46 turnably mounted at their lower ends on the trunnions 28 between the arms 31 and the side plates I. The arms 46 are connected above the plates I by together as a rigid unit. The length of bars 45 is such that when. the arms 46 are disposed at a forward slope of approximately 45, the crowder is some distance in front of blade 26.

' 1 Movement of the crowder is controlled by a single cable 48 from the power unit on the tractor. This extends about guide pulleys 49 and 50 on the post 8 and the side beam 2 opposite that on which pulley 34 is mounted (see Fig. 2), then along said side beam, and over fixed guide pulleys 5I mounted adjacent the back of the scraper. From there the cable passes back and forth between sheave-blocks 52 and 53 respectively, mounted on the adjacent bar 45 and. the adjacent one of posts 54 upstanding from the crossof block 53. Said cable then passes about a guide pulley 55 on'said one post, through a conduit, 56 connecting said one pulley with another'likepulley 5'| on the other'post 541" a crossbeam 41 so as to tie them 5 From there the cable passes back and forth between the sheaves of blocks 52a and 53a mounted respectively on the other bar 45 and the other post 52, to a dead end adjacent the latter. It will thus be seen that a pull on the cable 48 pulls rearwardly on both bars 45 simultaneously and to the same extent, also of course pulling the crowder back and finally up, since the sheaveblocks 53 and 53a are considerably higher from the bottom. of the scraper than the height of the crowder.

During its movement rearwardly from a position in substantial engagement with the blade .26, the crowder is free for either horizontal or to lift over a pile of dirt thereon, much in the manner that a hand rake being pulled will ride over av pile when such pile offers excessive resistance to the pull on the rake.

Rearward movement of the crowder is limited by the engagement of the crossbeam 41 with the posts 54, while upward movement of the crowder is limited by the engagement of the, sheaveblocks 52 and 53 with each other, or by the use of other equivalent stop means. Downward and forward movement of the crowder from this position however is guided along a definite path by the following means: Formed in each side wall structure of the scraper from its inner face is a track-groove which includes a straight portion 58 disposed at a forward and downward slope from an open inception some distance above the top of the side plates I. The upper end of said straight portion is in position to be directly under a roller 59 mounted on the adjacent side plate 43 of the crowder when the latter is in its rearmost and topmost position as shown in Fig. 5. An upper extension la of each side plate I extend to the'top of the track groove rearwardly of the same.

The roller is mounted for lateral as well as rotating movement and is yieldably urged out by a spring 60 mounted in a housing .51 formed in the crowder. The lower end of the straight track portion 58 is some distance in front of the blade and terminates in a seat 62 for the roller. This seat is positioned at such a height that when the roller is seated, the lower edge of the'crowder is still some distance above and in front of the scraping blade as shown in Fig. 5, or in a proper position to cooperate with the blade when digging to receive and retain some of the dirt being scraped up.

Depending from the roller seat with a rearward and downward slope from an inception slightly above the bottom of the seat is a final track portion 63 which gradually feathers out in depth to merge into the fiat surface of the side plate I, as shown in Fig. 6. This point of mergence is positioned so that the roller is clear of the track by the time the crowder engages the blade 26.

The operation of the crowder from the normal loading position of the scraper shown in Fig. 3 is as follows: As the dirt is piling. upon the blade and fixed plate 21 with the forward movement of the scraper, the cable 48 is first given a slight pull to withdraw the rollers 58 from theirseats 62, and is then released momentarily so that the rollers will move down the track portion 63. The pull on the cable is then continued until the rollers move clear of the tracks (retractinginto the crowder as they do so as shown in Fig. 7) and until the crowder is moved to its rearmost and uppermost position as shown in Fig. 5. With such weight, the rollers engaging the track portions 58 and guiding the movement of the crowder in a forward direction until the rollers again engage the seats 62.

The operation may then be repeated until all possible dirt being scraped up has been crowded back into the bowl 29 and the structure has been loaded to capacity. With any such manipulation of the crowder, it will be seen that no interference with the continued forward movement of the scraper and loading of the dirt is had, since on its back stroke the crowder is moving away from the incoming dirt, while on its forward stroke, it is above and clear of the zone of the dirt.

When the scraper is loaded and it is desired to carry the load, the crowder is lowered and. pulled back until it engages the blade 26, thus confining all the dirt within the confines of the crowder, fixed plate 21, rear bowl 29 and side plates I. Since the plate 21 never deviates greatly from a horizontal position, the crowder is also employed in unloading or dumping operations, the rearward movement of the crowder then causing all dirt on the plate 21 to be shoveled ofi' said plate and into the discharge gap then formedbetween the plate 21 and rear bowl 29 as previously explained.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein. Whilethis specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and'useful Letters Patent is:

1. A scraper including a body, wheels supporting the body at the back and about which said body is tiltable, said body including a fixed blade and bottom plate unit, an endgate disposed rearwardly of the fixed plate and adapted at its forward end to normally form a closure with the rear end of said fixed plate, means mounting the endgate for swinging movement rearwardly from a closure forming position to provide a discharge gap, means to tilt the body upwardly about the wheels and means functioning withsuch tilting of the body beyond a predetermined position to thus swing the endgate; said last namedv means comprising a wheel supported frame at the front of the scraper and whose level relative to the ground is substantially constant, a cable of fixed lengthanchored at forward end on the body adjacent its forward end and at its rear end on the endgate at a point thereon such that a pull on the cable will swing the endgate rearwardly, and means between the wheel supported frame and the cable to cause such pull to be imparted to the cable only upon upward moveand desire to secure by ment of the front end of the body beyond a prenamed means comprises a pulley fixed on the wheel supported frame below the anchored end of the cable and about which the cable passes from said end, and another pulley on the body above the first named pulley and about which ,the cable passes from said first named pulley; the cable then extending rearwardly to the bowl.

3. A scraper comprising a wheel supported body which includes side plates, a fixed blade and bottom plate unit mounted between the side plates, an endgate disposed rearwardly of the fixed plate and adapted at its forward end to normally form a closure with the rear end of the fixed plate, trunnions rigid with the endgate above the bottom thereof and tumably projecting through the side plates whereby the endgate may be swung, means to swing the endgate rearwardly from a closure forming position, side beams on the body outwardly of and along the top of the side plates, radial arms depending from the trunnions outwardly of the side plates, other arms disposed ahead of said radial arms and projecting upwardly through the beams, means pivotally mounting the last named arms on the body above the beams, links connecting the corresponding arms at their lower ends, and springs enclosed within the beams and acting on the last named arms to swing the same forwardly.

4. A scraper comprising a wheel supported body which includes side plates, 9. fixed blade and bottom plate unit mounted between the side plates, an endgate disposed rearwardly of the fixed plate and adapted at its forward end to normally'form a closure with the rear end of the fixed plate, trunnions rigid with the endgate above the bottom thereof and turnably projecting through the side plates whereby the endgate may be swung, means rearwardly from a closure forming position, radial arms rigid with the trunnions outwardly of the side plates, and springs acting on said arms to turn the same in a direction to swing the endgate forwardly.

- 5. In a scraper, a body having a dirt retaining structure therein, wheels supporting the body at its rear end, front wheels ahead of the body, spaced side frames supported by the front wheels and disposed inwardly of the wheels, a draft tongue disposed between the frames, means pivoting the tongue on the frames at the forward end of the latter, the tongue being adapted at its forward end for supporting connection with a to swing the endgate tractor, a supporting connection between the tongue and the front end of the body, and means to swing the tongue about its pivot.

6. In a scraper, a body having a dirt retaining structure therein, wheels supporting the body at its rear end, front wheels ahead of the body, spaced side frames supported by the front wheels and disposed inwardly of the wheels, a draft tongue disposed between the frames, means pivoting the tongue on the frames at the forward end of the latter, the tongue being adapted at its forward end for supporting connection with a tractor, a supporting connection between the tongue and the front end of the body, and means applied to the tongue rearwardly of its pivot to pull the same upwardly.

'7. A structure as in claim 5,3: which said supporting connection comprises a post depending fromthe front end of the body and overhanging the rear end of the tongue, and a fifth wheel and universal joint unit connecting said post and tongue.

' 8. A structure as in claim 6, in which said last named means comprises aniupstanding yoke rigid with the frames and including a crossbeam above the tongue, sheave-blocks on said crossbeam and tongue and a pullcable extending from in front of the yoke to the adjacent sheaveblock and then back and forth between the blocks.

9. A structure as in claim 6, in which said last named means comprises an upstanding yoke rigid with the frames and including a crossbeam above the tongue,-:sheave-blocks on said crossbeam and tongue and a pull cable extending from in front of the yoke to the adjacent sheaveblock and then'back and forth between the blocks, and vertical fair-lead rollers on the yoke guiding the cable to the initial sheave of the adjacent block.

10. In a scraper, a body having a dirt retaining structure therein, wheels supporting the body at its rear end, a draft tongue adapted at its forward end for supporting connection with a tractor, a post depending from the front end of the body and overhanging the rear end of the tongue, a universal swivel connection between the post and tongue, a front wheel truck pivotally connected to the tongue for relative vertical movement, and means between the truck and tongue for controlling the vertical movement ofthe tongue whereby to control the raising and lowering tilting movement of the body about the rear wheels asan axis.

STANLEY S. MOORE. 

